Now that we've hit mid-November, it really is starting to feel like Christmas.
The Christmas-themed lights are illuminating the skies above Briggate; Chow Down has opened its Winter Village and we're watching festive tipis pop up around the city centre as if they're Christmas trees.
Naturally, the best way to come together for juletide spirits is to stuff our faces with pigs in blankets, sage and onion stuffing, turkey specials- and really, anything with cranberry sauce on it.
But rather than heading over to the same old place for the same old festive specials, Leeds Food Tours is bringing together the best of the city's independents and championing the local food and drink offering with a special Christmas food tour.
Taking place across Sunday 4 December 2022, those taking part in this year's Christmas food tour will be treated to six different venues, and there's even mulled wine to keep you toasty at your first stop.
For those that have previously been on one of Leeds Food Tours before, founder Ellen Miller has ensured that each of the Christmas stops will be at completely different- so it's a great chance to check out some new spots without repeating yourself.
In total the tour lasts four hours and involves stopping at six different locations across Leeds city centre, spanning a total walking length of 1.4 miles.
One of the most exciting components of the Leeds Food Tours is that its inclusive to different dietary needs. There's vegetarian, vegan and gluten free options available, so there's no worry of having to go hungry at all on this tour.
If you can't make it to the Christmas special, Ellen runs regular foodie tours across the city, and can be either guided or self-guided depending on your preference- and either will make the ideal Christmas gift for anyone with a taste for exciting foodie options, and wants to support a local business this Christmas.
A feast for all the senses, Leeds Food Tours is a flexible guide around the city all based around food. The tours can take place any day of the week.
Those taking part in a self-guided tour simply need to follow the map and hand in special Leeds Food Tour tokens at each stop and welcome a range of dishes in return.
There's a choice of bao buns, tacos, falafels and gyozas on offer- and that's just the beginning.
Tickets to each food tour cost £65 per person, and include six stops across the city.
To find out more about Leeds Food Tours, including how to get involved in the Christmas special or bag one as a present, visit the Leeds Food Tours website.
Feature Image- Leeds Food Tours
News
Leeds farm welcomes five calves from one of the UK’s rarest cattle breeds
One of the rarest cattle breeds in the UK has had calves at Temple Newsam’s farm.
We think this might be the cutest story we've written about all year.
Categorised as ‘priority’ by the Rare Breed Survival Trust (RBST), Vaynol cows originate from North Wales and were first established in the late 19th Century.
The herd over at Temple Newsam stems directly from that first herd, having lived there since the 1980’s.
Images: Leeds City Council
And now, they've welcomed five new calves - and the beautiful new arrivals are just five of 150 animals in the UK.
Vaynols can now be found in five locations in the UK, with Temple Newsam’s Home Farm currently home to one bull, 14 breeding cows, five heifers these amazing new calves.
Richard Aldis, farm manager at Temple Newsam, said: “We’re so thrilled to have welcomed these little ones to the farm.
“The team here works hard to protect these rare breeds that the farm is home to and it’s always wonderful when we can successfully grow the herd. The calves are settling in well and we’re just thinking about names for them.”
Councillor James Gibson, Leeds City Council’s executive member for environment, said: “It’s wonderful to hear the news about these rare little calves being born, it is truly a testament to the important work that is done by the team at Temple Newsam’s Home Farm in preserving these breeds for future generations.
“There is so much for visitors to enjoy at the estate. Alongside the farm and its wonderful animals, people can explore the magnificent Temple Newsam House, enjoy the new bike park, and visit the recently opened play barn. It really is a fantastic day out for the whole family.”
Government announces all national museums across the UK will remain FREE for everyone to visit
Emily Sergeant
Dozens of national museums across the UK are set to remain free for everyone to visit, it has been confirmed.
Funded by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), the 14 national museums of the UK are all located in England – including the Royal Armouries in Leeds – and free entry to was first introduced all the way back in 2001, with millions of visitors having benefitted since.
National museums are said to add more than £1 billion a year to the economy, and bring in visitors from all over the world.
In fact, seven of the UK’s 10 most visited museums are national museums, and 7.1 million people visited the Natural History Museum and 6.4 million visited the British Museum in 2025 alone.
Earlier this year though, the Government committed to working with local leaders and the museum and tourism sectors to explore whether charging overseas visitors could help museums’ finances.
But following this, it’s now believed that charging could deter visitors, and that the impacts and benefits would ‘not be felt equally’ across the sector.
The Government has announced that all national museums in the UK will remain free for everyone to visit / Credit: Science Museum Group
Instead, the free entry will be funded by the £1.5 billion Arts Everywhere Fund – which is providing £760 million for museums – while £600 million of infrastructure funding is supporting national museums and DCMS-sponsored cultural organisations.
The latter funding will be used to address critical maintenance and works to estates, and enable institutions to deliver on their commitments to share collections with visitors from around the world.
A further £160 million is coming from The Museum Estates and Development Fund to help museums tackle maintenance backlogs.
On top of that, the Government will work with Arts Council to develop a long-term strategic plan for the future of museums.
Sophie Smith -
21st November 2022 
